We’ve been told to tear down our £20,000 garden shed by council but we’ll NEVER let them win – we’ve got a clever plan
A FURIOUS couple say they will refuse to tear down a £20,000 summer house after their bid to keep it was rejected by councillors.
Catherine Curran and her partner Martin Keyes installed the building in their garden nearly four years ago.
But last year they were left stunned when they discovered that council planners had refused retrospective planning for their two metre outbuilding.
The couple appealed against the decision but following a visit to the site councillors on the authority’s Local Review Body unanimously backed the original verdict.
The door is now open for Inverclyde Council to take enforcement action to have the building removed, if the local authority deems such action necessary.
The couple believe they still may be able to save their garden shed by moving it using a crane.
Catherine, 50, said she was furious – not just at the decision, but at the way the pair found out.
She insisted “They are not tearing it down. My partner has spoken to two other councillors, and there are other options.
“They will not take my summer house down. We were invited to the meeting, but I was working a nightshift.
“People all over Inverclyde and Glasgow knew the appeal had been rejected before us.
“I had eight councillors out here two weeks ago to look at my property. They could see we had spent a lot of money on this.
“I think it has been very badly handled by the council.”
Officials had said that the outbuilding had a detrimental impact on the adjoining property because of its size and proximity to the boundary between the houses.
No objections were lodged when the couple’s application for retrospective permission was submitted to the council last year.
The decision was made after members of the LRB visited the property to assess the summer house for themselves.
Councillor Stephen McCabe: “I was pleased that we did have the site visit because I think it did actually give us a perspective that we wouldn’t have had if we didn’t have the site visit.
“Having reviewed the appointed officer’s report and the reasons for refusal I would move that we dismiss the appeal and uphold the original decision.”
Ms Curran said she had also submitted a petition to the LRB with 40 signatures in support of the summer house.
She continued: “I’ve had no objections. Everyone up here loves it.
“We actually said to the council that we’d move it – but that would be the last resort.
“If we did move it to where our other shed is, we would need a crane, as it is all insulated.
“We would have to re-arrange our garden, remove the decking and get it cemented in. Why should we give the council the satisfaction?”
Ms Curran said she feels that they have been treated very unfairly as the summer house doesn’t overlook anyone’s property.
Cllr McCabe’s motion to refuse the appeal was carried without any opposing views being expressed.
Do I need planning permission to convert my shed?
CONVERTING an existing shed or outbuilding into a self-contained living space will usually require you apply for planning permission.
However, there is a “loophole” Brits can use to convert outbuildings into a tiny home without permission.
Planning expert Martin Gaine from Just Planning warned the conversion process is far easier than you may think.
Speaking to The Sun, the Chartered Town Planner of 14 years’ experience explained: “An outbuilding can be built using ‘permitted development rights‘, meaning it does not need planning permission.
“As long as you comply with the various restrictions and conditions.”
One of these is that the outbuilding can only be used for something ‘ancillary’ to your main living accommodation – examples include storage, a gym or a pool room.
If the outbuilding is existing, converting it then into primary living accommodation IS allowed.
Martin explained: “This is because internal changes to an existing building are not considered to be development at all under the Town and Country Planning Act.
But like anything, there is one catch.
The new living accommodation must still have some connection with your use of the main house.
For instance, if your gran is living out there, she must still come into the house to eat.